Israel's acceptance of a short-lived Egyptian truce which was rejected by Hamas, has set the scene for a much broader operation in Gaza, including a limited ground incursion, analysts say.

Although the ceasefire plan unveiled by Cairo did not lead to an end to the latest round of violence, Israel's agreement to hold its fire for six hours -- even as Hamas militants continued firing rockets over the border -- won it some room for manoeuvre.

Seven men were sentenced Wednesday to life in prison over sexual assaults at Cairo's Tahrir Square, following a pledge by Egypt's new authorities to tackle an epidemic in such crimes.

Since the 2011 uprising which toppled president Hosni Mubarak, cases of sexual harassment have soared in Egypt, with women regularly attacked at rallies by mobs in and around Tahrir, the epicenter of demonstrations.

At least 17 people were killed in Egypt on Tuesday when a bus ploughed into a truck south of Cairo, state television reported.

The accident occurred near the town of Safaga, 570 kilometers (about 355 miles) south of Cairo, the report said, adding that 25 other passengers were injured in the crash.

A Gaza rocket struck the southern port city of Ashdod on Tuesday, police said, just hours after Israel agreed to abide by an Egyptian truce that was rejected by Hamas. 

"The rocket struck a yard outside a house in Ashdod, several people have been treated for shock," police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement. 

Turkey is seeking to host a conference for Muslim scholars in Istanbul during the upcoming days to reject extremism and violence and to safeguard Islam against the so-called "caliphate" that was declared by Sunni militants in Iraq and Syria.

A Turkish envoy held talks with several Muslim scholars and clerics in Beirut to invite them to attend a conference in Istanbul between July 17 and 19, As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday welcomed Egypt's proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, saying he hoped it could restore calm.

At an Iftar dinner marking the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan, Obama also said Israel had a right to defend itself against "inexcusable" rocket attacks but described the deaths of Palestinian civilians in the conflict as a "tragedy."

Arab foreign ministers in Cairo early Tuesday called on "all parties" to accept an Egyptian proposal to end the raging conflict between Israel and Hamas, after the Palestinian militant group signaled its rejection of the truce.

The ministers, meeting for an extraordinary Arab League session, also backed a Palestinian demand for "international protection."

The United States has invited Egypt to an African leaders summit in Washington next month, after initially barring Cairo following the military's coup against the former Muslim Brotherhood-led government.

A U.S. official said the late invitation had been offered as Egypt had recently been allowed back into the African Union after a year's absence.

Egypt proposed a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and its Islamist foe Hamas to start at 0600 GMT Tuesday and be followed by talks on easing the flow of goods into Gaza.

The proposal late on Monday came on the eve of a scheduled visit by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Egypt, a traditional broker in Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, to push for a halt to seven days of exchanges that have left 184 Gazans dead.

Washington's top diplomat is to head to the Middle East on Tuesday to throw his weight behind diplomatic efforts to end a devastating week-long conflict between ally Israel and its Islamist foe Hamas.

With Israel's punishing air campaign in its seventh day, the death toll in Gaza hit 177, prompting growing calls for a ceasefire which have so far showed little sign of progress.